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When globetrotters book their tickets to Southeast
Asia, they usually anticipate weeks of lounging
on beaches, eating delicious spicy food, and
touring stunning temples. But as any traveller
can tell you, the most rewarding and memorable
experiences are often found off the tourist
trail. For some people, it's hard to tear through
such beautiful countries without giving something
back. Well, eco-minded adventurers take note
of the most exciting conservation project on
the map; the Gibbon Experience in Bokeo, northern
Laos.
The premise sounds a bit like a boyhood Tarzan
fantasy; guests climb up to treehouses and don't
touch the ground for days. Instead, they zipline
between huts and throughout the conservation
area in attempts to spot the elusive-but-adorable
black gibbon. But as thoughts of Swiss Family
Robinson come to mind, remember that this project
is operated with nature and wildlife conservation
in mind. The Societe Animo is the brains behind
the operation, working with the Bokeo Nature
Reserve to help promote environmental awareness
and conscienciousness through this hands-on
style of eco-tourism. The organization is located
in Huay Xai, across the river from Thailand's
popular northern border crossing. Here you can
book your Gibbon Experience package and catch
the 3 hour ride into the reserve (trucks leave
every other day at 7:30am).
Once you've arrived, you can spend hours touring
the camp and its environs by zipline, eat delicious
fire-cooked meals, and chat with local guides
who will dazzle you with their bottomless knowledge
of the forest and its animals. A 3-day stay
(approx. $110 USD) includes all food and accomodation,
plus hiking excursions and visits to stunning
waterfalls.
When you're not swinging through the trees,
monkey-style, take a moment to ask the Gibbon
staff about their environmental efforts. Animo
encourages grassroots conservation; a common
goal that should be realized by local inhabitant,
not imposed upon them by foreign organizations
or NGOs. The emphasis of the project is on the
protection of the black gibbon, a species that
was once thought to be extinct before it was
discovered again. This is different from the
hilltribe tourist treks of "ethnotourism," which
Animo believes is an exploitative move to peddle
a tribe's otherness for tourist profit. Animo
wishes to draw awareness and respect to the
environment itself, not simply the people. All
profits of the Gibbon Experience go towards
the conservation of the forest, to help prevent
logging, poaching, and scorched-earth farming
in the area.
If you're interested in stepping off the beaten
path in Laos, why not forego the tribal treks
in favour of the Gibbon Experience? Your money
will go towards an important cause, and your
three days of tree hut living will be an adventure
you won't soon forget, even when you're back
on the ground.
For more information, click
here...
Anne
Merritt is Canadian and has an English Literature
degree. She has worked as a journalist for a
university newspaper. She is currently living
in Ayutthaya as an ESL teacher and is sharing
her experience of Thailand with KhaoSanRoad.com.
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